Thursday, 28 February 2013

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO WITH TWO NEW RELEASES FROM THE STUDIO GHIBLI IMPRINT

Upcoming Releases For Fall Include MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO: A NOVEL And An Updated Edition Of The Official Film Picture Book Featuring Special New Cover Design For The Anniversary

San Francisco, CA, February 28, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Hayao Miyazaki’s landmark film with the October 1st release of MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO: A NOVEL and a new edition of the MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO Picture Book.

Published under VIZ Media’s Studio Ghibli Library imprint, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO: A NOVEL will carry an MSRP of $17.99 U.S. / $21.00 CAN, while the MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO Picture Book will carry an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN.

In the charming animation classic MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, eleven-year-old Satsuki and her sassy little sister Mei have moved to the country to be closer to their ailing mother. While their father is working, the girls explore their sprawling old house and the forest and fields that surround it. Soon, Satsuki and Mei discover Totoro, a magical forest spirit who takes them on fantastic adventures through the trees and the clouds – and teaches them a lesson about trusting one another.

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO was created by famed director Hayao Miyazaki and released as a feature film in 1988 by his Studio Ghibli, which also produced Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo later on. TOTORO’s popularity soon became an international phenomenon and has spawned a vast array of adorable plush characters, toys, collectables and other memorabilia.

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO: A NOVEL

MSRP: $17.99 U.S. / $21.00 CAN Available October 1st 2013

The superbly animated classic by legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki is now retold in a novel written by Tsugiko Kubo. This prestigious hardcover edition also features original watercolor illustrations by Miyazaki himself, accompanying a story written by veteran children's book author Tsugiko Kubo. Sure to delight both existing fans and new readers!

This companion, full-color book to MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO features artwork taken directly from the movie. The updated edition also features new cover design and allows parents and children to relive Totoro's magical adventures with scene-by-scene illustrations and character dialogue.

“MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO was one of the most beloved animated movies ever created by Studio Ghibli, and new and veteran fans alike will now be able to enjoy the adventures of this whimsical gentle forest spirit in a variety of fun ways throughout 2013,” says Masumi Washington, Sr. Editorial Director, Editorial Production. “The gorgeously illustrated MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO: A NOVEL brings Hayao Miyazaki’s classic story to life for readers, and the new edition of the picture book will be a perfect complement to the release later this year of the MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray.”

Hayao Miyazaki is one of Japan's most celebrated animation directors. In 2005 he was awarded the Venice International Film Festival's Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement, and his Studio Ghibli received the festival's Osella Award for overall achievement in 2004. Miyazaki's films include Spirited Away, winner of the 2002 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film, as well as Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, and Ponyo, all of which have received great acclaim in the U.S. Miyazaki's other achievements include creating the highly regarded manga series Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Starting Point: 1979-1996, a collection of essays, interviews, and memoirs that chronicle his early career and the development of his theories of animation. Both are published in English by VIZ Media.

More information on VIZ Media’s Studio Ghibli titles is available at www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Wednesday, 27 February 2013

Catch Pirate Adventures In A New ONE PIECE Box Set And Manga Industry Drama In The Complete BAKUMAN。Box Set

San Francisco, CA, February 27, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has just announced new manga (graphic novel) acquisitions scheduled for Fall release under its popular Shonen Jump imprint. The upcoming releases include the complete BAKUMAN。series box set, and a box set collection of the first part of the ONE PIECE saga.

BAKUMAN。BOX SET · Rated ‘T’ for Teens ·

MSRP: $159.99 U.S. / $159.99 CAN · Available October 1st 2013

Discover the mystery of manga-making in the bestselling series by Tsugumi Ohba, the creator of the hit series DEATH NOTE, available for the first time in a complete box set. The Box Set includes Volumes 1 through 20, plus the bonus mini-comic “Otter No. 11,” along with a full-color, two-sided poster.

In BAKUMAN。, average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world? Also catch BAKUMAN。in the pages of VIZ Media’s Weekly Shonen Jump manga magazine.

ONE PIECE BOX SET: EAST BLUE & BAROQUE WORKS · Rated ‘T’ for Teens ·

MSRP $185.99 U.S. / $185.99 CAN · Available November 1st 2013

A premium box set that bundles the first two story arcs of ONE PIECE, one of the most beloved and bestselling manga series of all time! The Box Set includes volumes 1-23, which comprise the series’ first two story arcs, East Blue and Baroque Works. The set includes an exclusive poster and mini-comic, and delivers great savings over buying the volumes individually to make for a true pirate’s treasure for any manga fan!

As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, an enchanted Devil Fruit that gave him the ability to stretch like rubber. The only drawback? He'll never be able to swim again – a serious handicap for an aspiring sea dog! Years later, Luffy sets off on his quest to find the "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world... Also catch ONE PIECE in the pages of VIZ Media’s digital Weekly Shonen Jump manga magazine.

For more information on these or other manga titles from VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump imprint, please visit ShonenJump.com.About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Thursday, 21 February 2013

Eikichi Onizuka must help his students come to realizations
about themselves. Onizuka’s methods, however, are a little unorthodox. Join Eikichi’s students for a crash course on
life!

Serialized in the Japanese shonen (boys’) comic anthology Weekly
Shonen Magazine, Great Teacher Onizuka is an entertaining if somewhat dry
series. The aforementioned title feels very organic with surreal situations and
fun, yet at the same time, sympathetic characters. The titular character
Onizuka, in particular, is impossible to not love.

The series is relatively episodic in this volume and thus
works as an excellent introduction to the franchise. The franchise itself spans
an animated television series, several comic series, as well as television
dramas and specials. Overall volume seven of the series is a lot of fun and is
a great way to pass a cold winter’s evening.

GTO: 14 Days of Shonan is available in print in North
America from Vertical Inc.

Catch Japan’s First Corporate Superheroes In An Action-Packed Anime Series That Explores A Most Unlikely Friendship Between
A Washed-Up Veteran And A Rookie With An Attitude

San Francisco, CA, February 13, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, gives fans a rollicking dose of anime action with the DVD and Blu-ray release on February 19th of TIGER & BUNNY Set 1. The 2-disc set, which contains Episodes 1-13 of the 26-episode action/sci-fi series, is rated TV-14, and will carry a DVD MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / $43.24 CAN, and a Blu-ray MSRP of $54.97 U.S. / $66.15 CAN.

To celebrate the new release, for a limited time only starting February 12th, VIZ Media also invites North American fans to catch free virtual screening of TIGER & BUNNY Episode 1 (English dubbed) hosted by VIZ Media DVD/Blu-ray producer Reginald Rhodes. At the end of the screening, viewers will have the opportunity to enter to win TIGER & BUNNY Set 1 (Blu-ray edition) or a 16GB iPad Mini. The contest runs until March 5th; please visit the TIGER & BUNNY official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TigerAndBunny or YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/vizmedia, for the special screening and contest instructions.

“TIGER & BUNNY enjoys a substantial and fast-growing U.S. and international fan following, and we’re extremely excited to bring the series to the attention of even more viewers with these new DVD and Blu-ray releases,” says Brian Ige, Vice President, Animation. “TIGER & BUNNY puts a new spin on the classic superhero narrative while incorporating lots of action, comedy, and drama into a unique story about a most unlikely friendship. Don’t miss this thrilling story of two polar opposites working to fight evil!”

TIGER & BUNNY DVD Set 1 offers English (dubbed) and Japanese (English subtitled) 2.0 stereo audio options as well as bonus features including production art and the original Japanese trailer. The Blu-ray edition features 1080p High Definition video, English and Japanese DTS-HD Audio as well as English subtitles, a special Making of TIGER & BUNNY segment, logo and production art, and the original Japanese trailer for the series.

TIGER & BUNNY was produced by the famed Japanese anime company, Sunrise, and was directed by Keiichi Sato (director of KARAS), with original character designs by Masakazu Katsura, the creator of the manga series, I”S and VIDEO GIRL AI, and ZETMAN. Stern Bild City is a thriving metropolis where superheroes called “NEXTs” protect the streets, sponsors pull the strings, and a hugely popular show called Hero TV captures all of it. Veteran hero Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (AKA Wild Tiger) and hotheaded new rookie Barnaby Brooks, Jr. (nicknamed Bunny by Kotetsu) are forced to team up not only to protect Stern Bild City, but to earn as many points on Hero TV as possible. Joined by a diverse cast of heroes, each with different powers and answering to their own corporate sponsors, Tiger and Bunny must find a way to work together, uncover the secret of the “Ouroboros,” and earn enough points to become this year’s “King of Heroes.”

To view the official trailer and to follow TIGER & BUNNY on the official Facebook page, please visit http://www.facebook.com/TigerAndBunny.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

New Acquisitions Set To Debut Beginning This Summer Include MIDNIGHT SECRETARY and MAGI

San Francisco, CA, February 14, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has just announced details on several new forthcoming manga series acquisitions scheduled to launch beginning this summer and continuing into the fall.

Four of the brand new manga titles that will be published under VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat imprint are HAPPY MARRIAGE?! by creator Maki Enjoji, MIDNIGHT SECRETARY by creator/artist Tomu Ohmi, SWEET REIN from creator Sakura Tsukuba, and VOICE OVER!: SEIYUU ACADEMY by creator/artist Maki Minami. Under the Shonen Sunday imprint, VIZ will publish the popular new series MAGI, by creator Shinobu Ohtaka.

“Summer and fall are shaping up to be exciting seasons for manga fans as we preview several notable acquisitions for our Shojo Beat and Shonen Sunday imprints,” says Leyla Aker, VIZ Media Vice President of Editorial. “From the odd-couple romances of HAPPY MARRIAGE?! and MIDNIGHT SECRETARY, to the anime industry-inspired comedy of VOICE OVER!: SEIYUU ACADEMY, and the supernatural drama of SWEET REIN, there will be a variety of intriguing new stories in store for our readers. And if exotic adventure is more your speed, you definitely won’t want to miss the North American debut of MAGI, the manga series that’s the basis for the popular anime.”

New Shojo Beat Manga Acquisitions:

HAPPY MARRIAGE?!  Rated “M” for Mature 
MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN  Available August 6, 2013
In order to help her father, Chiwa Takanashi agrees to an arranged marriage with the company president Hokuto Mamiya – a man she doesn’t know – at the request of Hokuto’s grandfather. Chiwa believes the arrangement isn’t binding, but her new partner seems to think otherwise. Can two strangers living together find their way to a happy marriage?!

MIDNIGHT SECRETARY  Rated “M” for Mature 
MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN  Available September 3, 2013
Kaya Satozuka is a brilliant secretary who excels at her job, which is why she doesn’t bat an eye when she’s assigned to be personal secretary to Kyohei Touma, the very difficult managing director of Touma Foods. It doesn’t faze her when her new boss seems determined to make her fail, and she even manages to take it in stride when she discovers the secret behind his prickly behavior…he’s a vampire! But while Kaya easily adapts to late nights and keeping a schedule of his “dinner dates,” will her ultra-competence help when Kyohei’s smoldering gaze starts turning her way?!

VOICE OVER!: SeiYUU ACADEMY  Rated “T” for Teens 
MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN  Available October 1, 2013
Hime Kino’s dream is to one day perform voice acting like her hero, Sakura Aoyama, from the Lovely Blazer anime. So getting accepted to the prestigious Hiragi Academy’s voice actor department is the first step in the right direction! But on her first day of class she meets Sakura’s grouchy son, Senri, who tells Hime that her voice is awful and Lovely Blazers is stupid. Hime will not let that stand unchallenged. She’ll show everyone that she IS a voice-acting princess, whether they like it or not!!

SWEET REIN  Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens 
MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN  Available November 5, 2013
Sad at the thought of spending Christmas alone, Kurumi goes out for a walk. While she’s crossing the street, a boy bumps into her and a rein suddenly appears that binds them together. The overjoyed boy tells her she’s his master, and that she’s a Santa Claus. Kurumi dismisses him as a crazy person, but then he transforms into a reindeer?!

New Shonen Sunday Manga Acquisition:

MAGI  Rated ‘T’ for Teens  MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN 
Available August 13, 2013
Deep within the deserts lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches open for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their riches, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks. Together with the genie Hugo and his friend, Ali Baba, Aladdin sets out to find his fortune in the depths of the endless dunes…

More information on Shojo Beat manga titles is available at: ShojoBeat.com.

For information on other manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Acclaimed Novel Now In Production As A Major Feature Film From Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, VIZ Media Also Secures Publishing Rights To Official Movie Novel Edition

San Francisco, CA, February 20, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, has announced the digital release by Simon & Schuster Audio of an unabridged audio book version of Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s science fiction thriller ALL YOU NEED IS KILL. The acclaimed novel, read and narrated by Mike Martindale, is now available for $19.95 U.S. from the Simon & Schuster website.

ALL YOU NEED IS KILL is published in North America by VIZ Media’s Haikasoru imprint and is currently in production as a major feature film directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) and starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. The film is slated for release in the spring of 2014, to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. Liman is directing the film from a screenplay by Dante W. Harper and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and Christopher McQuarrie, based on the novel. Erwin Stoff, Gregory Jacobs, Jeffrey Silver, Jason Hoffs and Tom Lassally are the producers, with Doug Liman, Dave Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers.

VIZ Media has also acquired the North American publishing rights for the official ALL YOU NEED IS KILL novel tie-in edition for the film that will support the release next year.

Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation. Simon & Schuster is the exclusive distributor for VIZ Media in the U.S. and Canada.

In the ALL YOU NEED IS KILL novel, there’s one thing worse than dying. It’s coming back to do it again and again. When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally – a female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?

New York Times best-selling author John Scalzi (Old Man’s War) described ALL YOU NEED IS KILL as, “science fiction for the adrenaline junkie,” and went on to declare it to be a novel that "reads fast, kicks ass, and keeps on coming." The novel was the first title to be published by Haikasoru and, since its North American debut in 2009, it has become one of the imprint’s most successful releases.

“ALL YOU NEED IS KILL garnered significant critical acclaim with its initial publication in Japan and subsequent release in North America and the buzz has grown significantly with the highly anticipated release of the live-action film,” says Masumi Washington, Editor-in-Chief, Haikasoru. “Fans can prepare for the release and get a jump start on the edgy story with this new audio version. Don’t miss this kinetic story from one of the greatest authors of Japanese science fiction!”

Author Hiroshi Sakurazaka was born in Tokyo in 1970 and has emerged as one of Japan's most energetic writers of both light novels and adult science fiction. After an initial career in information technology, he published his first novel, Modern Magic Made Simple, in 2003 with Super Dash Bunko, a popular young adult light novel imprint. There are now seven volumes in the series and it was also adapted into a manga (graphic novel) series in 2008 and a televised anime series in 2009. Sakurazaka published ALL YOU NEED IS KILL with Super Dash Bunko in 2004 and with it he earned his first Seiun Award nomination for Best of the Year honors in Japanese science fiction. His 2004 short story, Saitama Chainsaw Massacre, notably won the 16th SF Magazine Reader's Award. Sakurazaka's other novels include Characters (co-written with Hiroki Azuma) and Slum Online (published in English by Haikasoru in 2010). In 2010, Sakurazaka also began an experimental digital magazine called AiR with Junji Hotta.

For more information on ALL YOU NEED IS KILL and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Wednesday, 6 February 2013

Nagate Tanikaze had lived a life in relative isolation. When Nagate accused of stealing rice and is taken into police custody one thing becomes clear: his life will never be the same. From then on Nagate must pilot a giant robot against the alien menace in order to defend Sidonia.

Serialized in the seinen (men’s) comic anthology Afternoon in Japan, Knights of Sidonia is easily Nihei’s most accessible work to date. The world itself is fascinating with many creative ideas. Once you start you will be unable to put the book down until you’ve read the last panel on the final page.

As usual Nihei’s work features gorgeous yet Sidonia still manages to be visually distinct with much more pleasant artwork. The book also flows much more cohesively than Nihei’s works have in the past. In conclusion, volume 1 of Knights of Sidonia is a slick easy read that is sure to please fans ofhis previous work while still being accessible to a much wider audience.

Rating 8/10
Knights of Sidonia is available in North America in print from Vertical Inc.